Chapter 132: Awakened Tournament Crisis (38)

With Obsidian clearing the path and Eden devouring anything that slipped past him, the group finally began to advance.

Elio fought near Eden’s left flank, his whipblade extending and retracting as purple serpents coiled around the weapon. Each strike drained attributes from the tentacles, weakening their movements while strengthening his own.

He was one of the few people capable of dealing consistent damage to the creatures without relying entirely on a combination of attacks.

Yet even as he fought, his attention occasionally drifted toward the Black Knight.

Obsidian had just severed three tentacles with a single horizontal swing.

The enormous blade moved with terrifying speed despite its size, and the Black Knight’s footwork was so precise that the surrounding destruction barely seemed to affect him.

Elio narrowed his eyes.

’That thing...’

He had seen Eden fight at close range. He had felt the pressure of his crimson Essence and witnessed the destructive power of Devour.

But this summon was different.

And Eden was strengthening it even further.

’Could I even defeat that thing?’

The thought appeared before Elio could stop it.

He imagined facing Obsidian in a one-on-one battle.

His purple serpents would attempt to drain the Black Knight’s attributes, but he wasn’t sure how effectively they would work against something that seemed to be a void of essence.

And if Elio couldn’t end the fight quickly, he would be forced to contend with that enormous blade and the Black Knight’s superior physical strength.

The more he thought about it, the less he liked his chances.

His eyes shifted toward Eden.

The black-haired young man was fighting beside his summon with a casual confidence that almost seemed insulting. He moved between the tentacles, his Dark Matter blade severing their hardened flesh while Devour consumed whatever he couldn’t destroy outright.

It was a frightening combination.

And Elio had a feeling he still hadn’t seen everything Eden could do.

’Just what kind of monster are you?’

A tentacle snapped toward his head.

Elio moved on instinct, twisting aside as the spiked tip tore through the air above him. His whipblade lashed out, wrapping around the appendage before his purple Essence spread across its surface.

The tentacle’s movement slowed.

Elio yanked his weapon back, severing the weakened section.

The discarded thought vanished beneath the demands of the battlefield.

’It doesn’t matter.’

Whatever Eden’s summon was, whatever secrets he was hiding, none of it would mean anything if they died here.

Elio tightened his grip on his weapon.

’I’ll think about it after we finish this.’

Ahead of them, the enormous skull loomed ever closer.

And with every step they took toward it, the battle grew more vicious.

The tentacles became thicker and more numerous, emerging from the surrounding streets and buildings in a seemingly endless wave. Their attacks came from increasingly unpredictable angles, forcing the group to remain constantly alert.

One tentacle swept through a row of shattered buildings, sending a cascade of concrete toward Eden.

He raised his sword.

Dark Matter flashed.

The falling debris split apart before reaching him, its pieces scattering harmlessly across the ground.

Another tentacle struck from behind.

Obsidian intercepted it, his massive blade cleaving through the appendage before it could land.

The Black Knight continued advancing without so much as a pause.

He looked less like a summoned warrior and more like a lord marching through a territory he had already conquered.

’Talk about making an entrance.’

Inside his mind, Sylvia’s voice became more serious.

[Master, the closer we get to the skull, the more concentrated the Essence becomes.]

Eden glanced toward the monstrous structure.

He could feel it too.

The Essence surrounding the skull was different from the energy within the tentacles. It was denser, more concentrated, and threaded with something ancient and unsettling.

Whatever Aphelios had summoned, it wasn’t simply a monster with an unusual skill.

The creature’s presence permeated the battlefield, and the tentacles seemed to respond directly to the energy radiating from the skull.

’Do you think the skull is the core?’ Eden asked.

[It is certainly a focal point. Whether it is the true core or merely a vessel, I cannot say with certainty.]

’I see your helpfulness has its limits.’

[I am a servant, not an omniscient deity.]

Sylvia ignored his sarcasm.

[Regardless, we should avoid a prolonged engagement once we reach it. The tentacles are growing stronger, and there is no guarantee they will stop at their current level.]

Eden’s expression hardened.

She was right.

If they continued fighting like this, they might eventually carve a path all the way to the skull, only to discover that the creature controlling it was even more dangerous than the tentacles themselves.

They needed to end it in one decisive attack.

Preferably before it had a chance to retaliate.

’We need something powerful enough to destroy the skull and whatever is inside it before it can react, Eden thought.’

[Agreed,] Sylvia replied.

[A concentrated attack would be far more effective than attempting to overwhelm it through repeated strikes.]

Eden’s gaze drifted toward Elio.

A thought began to take shape.

He remembered the final moments of their interrupted match. The enormous purple serpent Elio had summoned, and the crimson dragon Eden had formed from Devour.

They had never discovered which attack would have prevailed.

But perhaps that didn’t matter anymore.

Eden’s grin returned.

’Sylvia.’

[Yes, Master?]

’I think I have an idea.’

[That expression worries me.]

Then he raised his voice.

"Elio!"

The silver-haired Awakened turned toward him while retracting his whipblade.

"What?"

Eden pointed toward the enormous skull ahead.

"I have a plan!"

Elio glanced at the skull, then at the tentacles surrounding them.

"Make it quick!"

Eden’s smile widened.

"Do you remember the finishing attack we were about to use before this whole mess interrupted us?"

Elio stared at him for half a second.

Then his eyes widened slightly.

’...!’

The purple Essence around his body began to writhe.

"...Are you serious?!"

"Dead serious!"

Elio looked toward the skull again.

He understood immediately.

If they could combine their attacks, they might be able to overwhelm the core before it had a chance to respond. Elio’s massive purple serpent could provide the destructive force, while Eden’s Devour could reinforce the attack and consume whatever stood in its path.

It was a reckless gamble.

If by any chance their combined attack failed to kill it, both of them would be left vulnerable without any Essence.

’Crazy Bastard.’

The gamble was entirely dependent on their ability to coordinate two powers they had never combined before.

But it was also their best chance.

Elio’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Fine."

He raised his weapon, and the purple Essence around him surged.

"Let’s do this."

Neither of them noticed the shadow moving above them.

Or rather, neither had the time to look.

Because atop the enormous black skull, where the crimson eyes burned brightest, a man stood watching the battlefield with a delighted smile.

Aphelios.

The Mad Summoner rested one hand against his cane, his frail body appearing almost absurdly small compared to the monstrous structure beneath his feet. The wind tugged at his ragged clothing, and his black eyes followed the movements of the Awakened below.

His smile never faded.

"How lively," he murmured.

The skull continued to roar beneath him, its enormous tentacles tearing through buildings and crushing everything unfortunate enough to remain in their path.

Aphelios tilted his head.

"Though I must admit, I hadn’t expected them to make it this far."

A patch of darkness spread across the surface of the skull behind him.

It gathered without a sound, forming a pool of shadow that seemed to absorb the crimson light surrounding it.

Then a figure emerged.

Dark clothing.

Purple hair.

Sharp green eyes.

And a familiar smile.

Null stepped out of the shadow as casually as someone entering a room.

"How did it go?" Aphelios asked without turning around.

Null brushed a speck of dust from his sleeve.

"My plan was interrupted."

Aphelios glanced at him.

"Interrupted?"

"Unfortunately."

Null’s smile widened.

"Though I suppose it couldn’t have gone much better anyway."

The Mad Summoner chuckled.

"You’re a strange man, Null. Most people don’t describe an interrupted plan as a success."

"You wouldn’t understand, old man."

Null stepped toward the edge of the skull, looking down at the battlefield.

His gaze settled briefly on Elio.

Even from this distance, he could recognize the silver-haired young man among the chaos.

For a moment, his smile became almost thoughtful.

’Consider it carefully, Elio.’

He had offered the boy a way out.

A chance to return without forcing the issue.

Whether Elio accepted or not was a problem for another day.

The important thing was that the message had been delivered.

And now, the rest of the operation could proceed.

"It’s time for us to leave," Null said.

Aphelios raised an eyebrow.

"Already?"

"Our initial objective has been achieved. There’s no reason to remain here any longer."

The Mad Summoner glanced toward the battlefield.

Below them, Obsidian cut through another enormous tentacle while Eden and Elio advanced toward the skull. The Awakened were gathering their strength, and the destructive force radiating from the center of the battlefield continued to grow.

Aphelios sighed.

"What a shame."

He looked up at the sky.

The moon had begun to rise above the destruction around them, its pale light filtering through the clouds of dust and smoke. It illuminated the shattered buildings, the burning streets, and the enormous black skull that continued to unleash destruction upon the world.

"A shame to waste one of Beelzebub’s lackeys like this," Aphelios murmured.

There was a faint note of genuine regret in his voice.

The creature beneath him was powerful, a servant of one of the Abyss’s greatest rulers. Its strength had been sufficient to overwhelm the stadium and force some of humanity’s most promising young Awakened into a desperate struggle for survival.

And now it was likely to be destroyed.

All because the operation had reached its conclusion.

Aphelios turned toward Null.

"Are you certain?"

Null nodded.

"Yes."

The purple-haired man smiled, his green eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"Besides, He should be returning any moment now."

Aphelios stared at him for a moment as his expression darkened.

"...The Jade Emperor?"

Null sighed softly.

"I suppose you could call him that, though he still denies his power its purpose."

"What a waste." The old man replied, his expression unreadable.

"Very well."

The shadow beneath their feet began to spread.

Darkness climbed over the skull’s surface, swallowing the faint crimson glow reflected in its cracks. Null stepped into it without hesitation, while Aphelios followed with a final glance toward the battlefield.

His smile widened.

"Do try to survive, little sacrifices."

The shadow rose around them.

And then both men disappeared.

Only the enormous skull remained, its crimson eyes burning as fiercely as before.

The tentacles continued their rampage.